NEWS

On Wednesday, June 7th, BP Oddo joined with members of the community at the Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex to launch the Staten Island Child Wellness Initiative (CWI). This coalition was created through help of the community along with the partnership of the Borough President James Oddo and the Staten Island Partnership for Community Wellness (SIPCW).​The idea for CWI was generated from a series of meetings of BP Oddo’s Health and Wellness Advisory Council, in which participants engaged in spirited discussions about how they could have the greatest impact on Staten Island’s health needs, particularly those of young people.

The CWI was created in order to increase the opportunities for healthy living for children and families and to reduce childhood obesity. The aim is to provide accessible options for active living as well as availability of fresh and healthy food, aiming to bring 80 percent of children below high school age to a healthy weight.

An assortment of speakers at the ceremony discussed the issue of childhood obesity, including Deputy Mayor Dr. Herminia Palacio.

“It is clear to see that childhood obesity is a real problem that must be addressed to prevent a lifetime of illness,” said Borough President Oddo. “We are getting to the heart of the matter by addressing child wellness and child health.”

Adrienne Abbate, Executive Director of the SIPCW, noted the importance of the community member engagement, saying, “By working together with partners across Staten Island to address this urgent issue, we can shape a healthy future for our children, and reverse the rising rates of obesity in our borough. Although this is a borough-wide initiative, the CWI will use data to target communities and neighborhoods that have higher need and poorer health outcomes.”

The CWI’s progress will be measured by changes in BMI over time in Staten Island children